Strategy

Between a partnership with Sonos and its expansion into the boutique hotel business, it’s been a busy couple of weeks for West Elm. And with it all, the home furnishings retailer continues to grow its core business.   West Elm will open its third store in Nevada, in Downtown Summerline, on Oct. 6. As part of the retailer’s Local program, eight Nevada-based makers and designers will sell their products with the store’s holiday assortment of modern furnishings and décor.  

New shopping center construction may be in a nationwide lull, but not in Tarrant County, Texas, where a developer is poised to break ground on a 90-acre parcel flanked by two other sizeable centers.   A partnership controlled by the De La Vega Group will begin building a mixed-use project called The Citadel across Interstate 35 from Alliance Town Center and adjoining the newly opened Presidio Town Center north of Fort Worth. Upon its completion, retail space will top 2 million sq. ft. in the submarket.  

CallisonRTKL is expanding the services it offers to retailers around the world.    The company is adding visual merchandising services to its current lineup of retail services, which include architecture, store planning and design, brand strategy and environmental graphic design.    “Visual Merchandising is more important than ever in the retail environment,” said Ignaz Gorischek, VP, CallisonRTKL, who will lead the visual merchandising team.     

It is not easy for a 100-plus year-old retailer to reimagine its retail strategy, but J.C. Penney is doing just that.   

In a bold stand, Mall of America will be closed on turkey day this year.     The mall, located in Bloomington, Minnesota, has been open for business on the holiday for the past four years. The 5.6 million-sq.-ft. mall has more than 520 stores and restaurants, and a number of attractions.      “In years past we’ve all rallied together to answer the call for 24/7 shopper access that the Thanksgiving/Black Friday weekend brings.”   

Who are the leading women working in retail technology? Chain Store Age is accepting nominations for its annual feature recognizing female executives who are helping to transform the retail industry through technology.   The “Top 10 Women in Tech” will celebrate the achievements of female executives from all areas of retail technology. The winners will be profiled in a special section of the January 2017 issue of Chain Store Age, as well as in an online report on chainstoreage.com.  

Expect more FAO Schwarz-branded toys, in-store “experiences” and even possible freestanding stores in the very near future.    In an unexpected announcement, ThreeSixty Group said it has acquired FAO Schwarz from Toys “R” Us. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.  Toys “R” Us purchased FAO Schwarz in 2009.